The
Rosewill RCX-Z2-EX is pegged as a low noise heatsink, and with its PWM fan able
to scale between 800-2400RPM this is quite an asset. The
RCX-Z2-EX is assembled by rather standard means; aluminum fins, four copper
heatpipes and a copper base, all of which have been dark nickel plated.
A 92mm fan in a surprisingly open frame spins at the center of it all. The open
frame design reduces turbulance and allows exhaust airflow to cool adjacent components on the
motherboard.

Rosewill's RCX-Z2-EX heatsink
is compatible with all current AMD Athlon64 processors (754/939/940/AM2) and
socket 775 Intel Pentium D/ Core 2 Duo processor. The heatsink relies
upon interchangeable metal mounting clips
which screw onto the base of the cooler for its broad socket compatibility. The clips screw onto the copper base, with four tiny metric threaded screws that Rosewill neglected to include in the package FrostyTech received for testing.

On the whole, the heatsink is a compact
unit that will fit easily into most computer systems that
require a lower noise cooling solution with some flexibility. The Rosewill RCX-Z2-EX heatsink retails
for about $38USD ($44CDN / £20GBP) through most major online stores.

In terms of accessories, the Rosewill RCX-Z2-EX just ships with two sets of
stamped steel mounting clips for either Intel socket 775 or AMD socket 754/939/940/AM2 processors. The clips fit around the copper base, and are
screwed in position at four points. The clips provide a firm basis to hold the RCX-Z2-EX cooler on the
CPU below. A thin syringe of thermal compound is also provided.

The socket 775 bracket comes utilizes the standard Intel
plastic push-to-click retention mechanisms, so
the heatsink installs without having to remove the motherboard or install any rear support brackets. The AMD K8 heatsink clip
attaches to the center tab on both types of K8 heatsink retention frames (939 and AM2), and can
be installed without any tools although it is a bit stiff.

FrostyTech's K8 Test Methodology is outlined in detail
here if you care to know what equipment is
used, and the parameters under which the tests are conducted. Now let's move
forward and take a closer look at this heatsink, its acoustic characteristics,
and of course it performance in the thermal tests!